10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Event Management Software: Question #6

We work with a variety of customers from small to mid-sized businesses to global organizations with thousands and hundreds of thousands of employees. But each customer – no matter how large or small – has very similar questions when it comes to buying event technology. We brainstormed the top 10 questions that we believe smart companies should ask before buying event management software. In this blog, I’ll spotlight the importance of each of the questions – and their answers – in a series of 10 posts.

Thanks for following this blog series. In our last post, we discussed how event management technology can make attendees happy.  Here’s another question you should ask before buying event management software: “How can event technology deepen my relationship with attendees?”

In an ACTIVE Network/Event Marketing Institute survey of 2012 event tech trends, 94% of meeting owners said their top event need was to improve the attendee experience. Meanwhile, 85% said expanding customer engagement was their top concern.

When considering event management software, ask yourself if it helps you increase your ties to attendees via:

• Social media that creates blogs and other communities and lets attendees view YouTube videos
• Mobile event app so attendees can view and schedule sessions, download agendas, view daily news updates, participate in goal-oriented business games
• Data and insights allowing you to personalize the event experience for your attendees

Read all 10 Questions Smart Companies Need to Ask before buying event management technology!

Next blog:  Question #7– How will event tech improve my relationship with exhibitors?

Other Resources:

- The Connected Event – an analysis of technology use, best practices and benchmarks.

Written By: Don Munro

10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Event Management Software: Question #5

We work with a variety of customers from small to mid-sized businesses to global organizations with thousands and hundreds of thousands of employees. But each customer – no matter how large or small – has very similar questions when it comes to buying event technology. We brainstormed the top 10 questions that we believe smart companies should ask before buying event management software.  In this blog, I’ll spotlight the importance of each of the questions – and their answers – in a series of 10 posts.

How to improve the event experience for attendees? Make their lives simpler! In an ACTIVE Network/Event Marketing Institute survey of 2012 event tech trends, 94% of meeting owners said that “improving the attendee experience” was their top event need.

It’s a snap to simplify the attendee experience. Just make sure the event tech you’re considering buying can make it easy for them to:

• Register and engage with your event via:
  • Pre-populated forms for easy registration
  • Automated communication tools, such as surveys and messaging
  • To network with attendees via such tools as:
    • A portal that participants can use to search for and connect with others
    • To recommend, share content using a mobile app

Read all 10 Questions Smart Companies Need to Ask before buying event management technology!

Look for our next post:  Question #6 – How will event tech improve my relationship with attendees?

Other Resources:

- The Connected Event – an analysis of technology use, best practices and benchmarks.

Written By: Don Munro

10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Event Management Software: Question #4

We work with a variety of customers from small to mid-sized businesses to global organizations with thousands and hundreds of thousands of employees. But each customer – no matter how large or small – has very similar questions when it comes to buying event management software.  We brainstormed the top 10 questions that we believe smart companies should ask before buying event management software. In this blog, I’ll spotlight the importance of each of the questions – and their answers – in a series of 10 posts.

In this post, we’d like to talk about one of the most important questions you should ask before buying event management technology: How can event tech help me show cost savings?

In our previous post, we looked at how event tech can get you the ROI you need to justify your events.  Well, tracking and reporting savings is a key measurement of ROI. In the 2012 Strategic Meetings Management Study, produced by Business Travel News, nearly one in four respondents indicated their firms have centrally consolidated all meetings purchasing functions. Of those, more than half said they have gained the benefit of leveraging buying volume with suppliers. Plus, more than four in five noted they have a higher degree of budgetary control.

That’s great stuff. But being able to track, measure and report on savings is even better. When looking at providers, consider the following tech and how it can help you cut 10-25% off annual meeting costs*:

• Process automation. Event planning process automation can cut from 3%-6.5% from your outlay;
• Procurement automation. Electronic Request for Proposal (eRFP) tech can help you save 4.8%-8%;
• Automation to boost visibility & control. This can help you cut from 2.4% – 5.5% from your budget;
• Compliance & Risk. Look to pare 1.6% – 5% from your budget using this tech;
• Meetings Effectiveness. On-site event reporting on attendee satisfaction with speakers and sessions, as well as reports on lead generation, can pare annual meeting costs by 0.5% – 5%.

Tell us how you’re saving on meeting costs and achieving efficiencies! We’d love to hear your stories.

* Source: CWT Travel Management Institute’s 2010 study, “Meetings & Events: Where Savings Meet Success,” which polled 222 event planners worldwide, among other methods.

Check out all 10 Questions Smart Companies Need to Ask before buying event management technology!

Stay tuned for the next post:  “How will event tech make my attendees happy?”

Other Resources:

2012 Strategic Meetings Management Study, produced by Business Travel News

Written By: Don Munro

10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Event Management Software: Question #3

We work with a variety of customers from small to mid-sized businesses to global organizations with thousands and hundreds of thousands of employees. But each customer – no matter how large or small – has very similar questions when it comes to buying event management technology. We brainstormed the top 10 questions that we believe smart companies should ask before buying event management software. In this blog, I’ll spotlight the importance of each of the questions – and their answers – in a series of 10 posts.

 Thanks for following this series of blog posts! So far, we’ve discussed how event technology can help you do your job more efficiently and how it can get you the ROI you need to justify your events.  Here’s question #3: How can event tech help me grow my business?

According to the 2013 US CEO Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, top executives have great expectations for business growth for the near future: 47% are very confident about prospects for revenue growth over the next 3 years. Talk about pressure!

When you’re considering buying event management software, do you think about how it will help you grow the business? For example, will the tech:

• Generate revenue by providing up-to-date status reports to ensure you meet service level agreements and confirm that exhibitor fees have been paid?
• Drive sales growth by providing an easy-to-use, lead-retrieval device with full contact information?
• Provide real-time information on sales leads during the conference or immediately thereafter?

How do you grow your business through your events? Share your comments below.

Check out all 10 Questions Smart Companies Need to Ask before buying event management technology!

Stay tuned for next week’s post: How can event technology demonstrate cost savings?

Written By: Don Munro

Event Registration – Macworld / iWorld Checks in Event Attendees 5 Times Faster

How annoying is it to be stuck in a conference registration line that’s so long you miss the first session you’d planned to attend?

For years, long snake-like lines were an issue for Macworld/iWorld, the ultimate annual iFAN event. But, in February 2013, attendees, speakers and exhibitors checked in five times faster than in previous years. How’d that happen? Event organizers IDG World Expo used ACTIVE Network’s Conference^TM onsite Scan and Go technology and expert advice from ACTIVE’s a Professional Services team.

First Impressions: Event Registration Experience

Why is improving the event registration experience so important? Because that’s what the event industry wants: 88% of event producers, exhibitors and event marketers interviewed in a study, The Connected Event: Insight into 2012 Event Technology Trends, said improving the attendee experience was “important or very important. “

Look at other ways Macworld/iWorld benefited:

• Dashboards and timed reports enabled each stakeholder – from marketing, to registration to general management – to quickly  access the info they needed to optimize the show;
• One online self-serve portal and iOS lead retrieval made life easier for exhibitors. The Exhibitor Resource Center replaced four separate exhibitor solutions allowing exhibitors to sign-up, manage their orders and staff and access leads.
• Centralized content and data management reduced headaches for staff. Speaker submissions and exhibitor information were easily collected online and flowed directly into the online event agenda and Mobile App.

Read more about how ACTIVE Network improved the attendee experience and boosted efficiency for Macworld/iWorld show management and exhibitors.

Resources: *The Connected Event: Insight Into 2012 Event Technology Trends,” a study by ACTIVE Network and the Event Marketing Institute.

Written By: Don Munro

10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Event Management Software: Question #1

We work with a variety of customers from small to mid-sized businesses to global organizations with thousands and hundreds of thousands of employees. But each customer – no matter how large or small – has very similar questions when it comes to buying event technology. As a group, we brainstormed the top 10 questions that we believe smart companies should ask before buying event management software. In this blog, I’ll spotlight the importance of each of the questions – and their answers – in a series of 10 posts.

Doing My Event Management Job More Efficiently

The first question we address is “How will event tech help me do my job more efficiently?” CareerCast.com recently named “Event Coordinator” to its list of the “10 Most Stressful Jobs of 2012. So, event management software can pay off big because it increases your efficiency in taking care of event administration. That gives you more time to focus on creating the best content for your event, engaging your audience and strategically managing costs.

When sourcing for event tech, ask if the technology will help you simplify:

• Attendee registration – by setting up a website that enables attendees to register with speed and ease
• Attendee engagement –  via mobile apps and social media, so you can easily distribute updated event material and build attendee communities
• Event coordination – Managing hotel room blocks, the call-for-papers process, exhibitors, speakers, demos, setting up 1:1 meetings
• Data analysis – by providing online reports on metrics as varied as event spend levels, exhibitors visited, sessions attended, new leads generated.

What are some of the ways that technology helps you simplify event registration and other event administration tasks? What would you do with the time you save?

 Stay tuned for the next post:  “How will event tech help me improve ROI?”

Check out all 10 Questions Smart Companies Need to Ask before buying event management technology!

Other Resources:

- The Connected Event – an analysis of technology use, best practices and benchmarks.

Written By: Don Munro

Event Management Software Helps Dairy Queen Register 80% of Attendees Online

We all wish we had more time. No matter what your profession is or where you land on the totem pole, it’s easy to relate to racing against the clock. But there can be a resolution – and sometimes it just takes asking what you could be doing differently to help save you time.

Dairy Queen’s event planners are a prime example of this and sought the advice of ACTIVE Regonline for help. They plan large events for franchise owners and vendors and needed event management software to help them save time and reduce manual tasks. By enlisting RegOnline, they have automated processes for data entry, accounting, and registration paperwork, and reduced the amount of mailed-in registration forms and checks. Now their event planners whip up great events and boost efficiency while registering nearly 80% of attendees online. With this online registration solution, Dairy Queen can take advantage of:

• Event registration sites, built and managed by the RegOnline Professional Services team, to ensure a smooth registration process for attendees.
• Online registration and payment processing to simplify the sign up process for attendees as well as event planners.
• Detailed attendee information is collected and can be used in reports and badge printing.
• Housing block management that tracks attendee count and availability.

Dairy Queen’s Director of Meetings, Events and Travel, Missy Schrupp, also adds that, “ACTIVE RegOnline provides substantial time-savings. Plus, our vendors and franchise owners absolutely love it because they can register for our events on their own time.” With their online registration growing each year, it’s clear that Dairy Queen will continue to please their attendees and get time back to create amazing event experiences.

Hopefully this provides some inspiration for you to take a look at your daily tasks and consider what areas can be improved. At ACTIVE Network, we strive to work with our customers to unveil their blocks and get them moving in the right direction. Once you find your resolution, then comes the fun part. Figuring out what to do with your free time!

Tell us your tips for saving time during meeting planning and, in turn, how your events have improved because of it.

Download the PDF to learn more!

Written By: Rebecca Yetzer

The Global Value of Face-to-Face Meetings

In a recent study conducted by IMEX and Meetology Group*, psychologists have once again proven the benefits of face-to-face meetings. Specifically, they generate more ideas, of which are a great variety and are considered to be more creative. Meeting planners and event planners can rejoice! Well done IMEX on running this research – it’s a shame we need to keep proving it but it’s always good to have another study to support what we already know to be true. Bringing people together in person is the single most effective way to communicate. And the benefits are not just limited to idea generation. I can’t even quote the number of studies I’ve seen over the past 10 years that have gone to prove this very fact. However, one does spring to mind….

A Yougov study** conducted in the UK found that 85% of people felt significantly more committed to company goals and objectives when they had face-to-face meetings with their line managers about those goals, rather than simply receiving an email or newsletter to read. The motivation levels were significantly raised and staff actually reported to feel inspired when they spent time with their line managers and other executives face-to-face.  Motivation and commitment are both major factors in a person’s ability to achieve success for their organization, no matter what their job role.

Companies that lose sight of the value of getting people together, lose sight of the value of their business. We are human beings. By the very nature of that fact we need to communicate with each other, not just verbally but using all our senses. There is so much to be gained by simply observing body language, making eye contact, and making a connection with another person that simply cannot be done until you are in front of that person.  And this is something universal, that can be understood on a global level. How often have you met with someone after months of speaking on the phone and upon meeting the connection just clicks? And what do we all say – “It’s so great to finally put a face to the name!” The fact is, we like meeting each other and it’s good for business.

The benefits to business and importance of having the right meeting management software are proven time over and not only with internal meetings but also with external, customer-facing opportunities. Whether it’s communicating messages, brainstorming ideas, sharing results or other customer-facing opportunities, putting someone in front of another person is the single most efficient way to get the message across by listening and learning from each other. From customers providing valuable feedback to colleagues giving a different perspective, we all learn when we share. We share best when barriers are broken down between us, when we face that person, in person.

Thankfully we still live in a world where we can meet to do business. And thankfully my company, ACTIVE Network, still believes in the value of a handshake.  How sad would it become when we can no longer meet our colleagues and customers in person, look them in the eye, and share experiences. I certainly wouldn’t want to be a part of that world, would you??

* The Meetology® Laboratory Behavioural Research Results, 2012

** The YouGov Employee Engagement Study, 2010

Written By: Izania Downie

Three Event Technology Ideas from PCMA Convening Leaders

I attended the PCMA Convening Leaders conference in early January (Disclosure: ACTIVE Network is a communications partner with PCMA). This will be my third time attending the conference, which has a reputation for driving technology innovation within the industry. This year’s conference was no different with lunch incorporate into part of the experiment – testing different cuisines or creating a learning lunch area.

As a marketer, I’m always looking at how technology can be leveraged for your event. Here are three considerations for your next event:

• Shout it with Tout: Think of Tout as a video version of Twitter. Why would you use it versus YouTube? The key here is using a video medium to capture questions, feedback and reactions in 15 seconds or less. As an organizer, it’s a great “teaser” to other content at your event. Currently being leveraged by media outlet and consumer organizations, such as 49ers and WWE, Tout is venturing into the events space. Hurry – while currently free, the company may soon move to a paid model.
• In-person versus Virtual perspectives: While I was unable to attend this session, I did hear some very positive feedback from attendees. Jeff Hurt of Velvet Chainsaw lead a session that challenged attendees to evaluate how room sets (the type of seating used as well as layout) can impact learning and participation for attendees. This was also streamed to the virtual audience. The key take away? For the virtual audience, they had a different reaction to the room sets than those sitting in the convention center. If you plan to stream a physical event to a virtual audience, be aware that how virtual audiences “see” the room and presentation is significantly different than a physical audience.
• Mobile is the New Black: Mid last year, we highlighted in several blog postings about the level of mobile usage within the meetings and events industry. At the time, we noticed that mobile was just gaining ground with mobile usage beginning to saturate beyond 100% (meaning owning more than one mobile device). At PCMA, it became clear that mobile devices, from smart phones to tablets, are an essential part of an event planner’s life. In fact, the learning lounge session on tablet tricks & tips and mobile apps were regularly overflowing. Beyond leveraging mobile devices to help with event logistics, attendees will begin expecting a mobile event app to help navigate the show floor itself.

What event technology ideas are you seeing at events?

Written By: Cece Salomon-Lee

Hart Energy Achieves Skyrocketing Growth with RegOnline

As you begin 2013, start by casting a net for the goals you want to achieve in order to have a successful year. One goal on everyone’s mind? How to take their business to the next level.

Hart Energy is a prime example of how ACTIVE Network can help support this type of growth. As one of the world’s largest energy industry publishers, Hart Energy needed more than just a simple online registration tool to help support their expanding portfolio of high-profile events. After evaluating registration managment software solutions in the marketplace, the organization chose ACTIVE Network’s RegOnline to help power their global meetings. Now they can manage their events easier than ever:

• Simplified event logistics such as seamless online registration, credit card processing, attendee check-in, and exhibitor lead scanning.
• A global solution in a variety of languages for any size event – from 50 to 4,000 people.
• Delivering first-class event experiences for industry leaders and speakers by using bar-coded registration badges and instant updates to changes in attendee status.
• The most professional conference and event features at a cost-effective price.

Chief Technology Officer of Hart Energy, Mark Chiles, is pleased with the results stating, “RegOnline helped us grow, allowing easier event production and a more professional registration experience meeting the needs of our executive audiences.”

Coming from an organization that manages over 20,000 attendees per year, including former U.S. presidents and CEOs of global 500 companies, ACTIVE Network is thrilled and proud of their success. Whether your events welcome 30 attendees or 3,000, our goal is to provide the right tools and support to achieve growth across the spectrum. We hope to hear more of these success stories in 2013, along with more comments such as this one from Mark Chiles:

“Our conference business has skyrocketed over the past couple of years.”

Download the case study here

Written By: Rebecca Yetzer